2015: Arewa asks Jonathan to honour agreements

President Goodluck Jonathan got yesterday a piece of advice – he should respect agreements he entered into with stakeholders.

This, to the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), is a way of addressing the problems within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which conveys the impression that the party is at war.

ACF spokesman, Anthony Sani, told The Nation exclusively that President Jonathan has enough time between now and 2015 to address the problem, adding that the events in the party are not healthy for the growth of democracy.

The ACF is a pan-Northern socio-political organisation.

Sani, who was reacting to the visit of Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and others to some past leaders, said the Forum believed that the governors want to be carried along in the management of the party.

He said: “Our understanding of the G-5 governors is that they want governors to be carried along in the management of their party, they want internal democracy and they want an end to divisions as well as internal democracy within the party, and for President Jonathan to respect agreements he entered into voluntarily with stakeholders.

Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, has said that President Jonathan entered into an agreement with Northern leaders to spend only one term in office.

The Niger governor urged the President to honour the agreement by not seeking reelection.

But Presidency official have denied the existence of such an agreement, insisting, however that the President is yet to declare interest in running for a second term.

“The five governors may not be totally wrong, considering the happenings in the ruling party, which convey an impression that PDP is at war with itself, which is unhealthy. More frustrating is the inability of 35 governors to elect their leaders, which some people believe is pointing to what will happen in 2015. But I hope Mr President has enough time to bring the situation under control before 2015.”

Sani said the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would open up the democratic space and offer Nigerians alternatives during elections.

Said Sani: “The registration of APC gladdened our heart because it could bring about a viable alternative platform to the ruling party, since democracy without a viable opposition is a sham.

“More so that ACF has recommended a two-party system for the country, with clear choices on how to assume responsibility for real issues of real concern to real Nigerians. Before now, Nigeria claimed to operate a multiparty democracy, yet all the parties have been mere clones of one another.

“As a result, the choice for the voters has been reduced from which party could deliver on the promise of democracy to which party had the capacity to win elections. We hope the registration of APC will arrest such a trend by enriching the polity with democratic tenets for public good”.

Sani also said that the ACF believed that “President Obasanjo may not be totally wrong to submit that the feckless performance of leaders in our climes is at its worst with the younger generation, since the younger generations have been in the driver’s seat for quite some time now without sign posts to improvement.

“All we hear are security challenges posed by insurgents, by armed robbers, kidnappers, baby factory, militant activism, piracy, unemployment and corruption, that have combined to steal Nigerians’ empowerment, their opportunities and their future.

“That is why Nigeria carts home gold medals in Misery Indices and brings up the rear in Human Development Index. And this is made possible because the youths who are more in number and can bring about good leadership in a democracy have failed to make judicious use of their democratic rights and ensure that votes count so that the leaders who emerge would be accountable to the people. Once votes do not count, the leaders would not account to the people.”

To Sani, the renewed killings by the Boko Haram Islamic sect, are “not surprising because terrorism is driven by the highest commitment of those who believe they have nothing to gain anymore in living on earth, but more to gain in death. “And so, nobody expected the task of subduing the sect would be a tea party.”

“You recall when America overran terrorists in Iraq and deposed President Saddam Hussein, President George Bush boasted that it was, “Mission accomplished with precision”, without knowing that would be the beginning of more than 10 years campaigns that would cost America 4,400 soldiers and over $800 billion.Terrorism is still in Iraq after America has left.

“We believe the government knows that the use of force that goes with declaration of state of emergency was meant to reclaim those local government areas seized by the sect, and not that the use of force could contain their activities to some satisfactory level.

“And that is why there are still consciously directed efforts by the government to bring the sect into the negotiation table. And that is why ACF encourages the Federal Government to pursue the option of dialogue with those members of the sect who are agreeable to it in the hope that the extreme reluctant members may join as the process progresses.

“We also call on members of the sect to stop the killings of innocent people and embrace dialogue as the only viable option that can address their perceived grievances. Force does not bring about peace because peace is not absence of conflicts but ability to resolve conflict peacefully.

“ACF was among the groups which pressurised ASUU to dialogue with the government that brought about the agreement being bandied about. As a mark of good faith, one would expect the government to respect and implement the agreements with stakeholders.

“But if the prevailing circumstance makes it almost impossible for government to implement the agreement, one expects ASUU to know and understand. It is against this backdrop that the ACF calls on both parties to come to terms with reality and make ASUU call off the strike in the interest of the students .

The ACF recommended “the scrapping of the Joint Account, which has been abused by state governments at the expense of socio economic development of the people who are closest to local governments, provided some provisions are made on how state governments can make laws to help in effective and efficient management of local governments”.

2 thoughts on “2015: Arewa asks Jonathan to honour agreements”

Anthony Sani or whomever they call you, I don’t know which part of the north you come from. In any case wherever you come from before assuming the office of a spokeperson of ACF, you probably do not know very much about the north. The north bequeated to these ‘modern politicians’ is not same as handed over by Great Sardauna of Sokoto and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of blessed memory.
Politics shouldn’t be lies and deception. The people that the north was entrusted to, have deceived the people overtime using all forms of tricks most prominently religion. Anthony I am sure you have been brain-washed or you want to be relevant. If the later is true then you are in the same shoe of the ‘modern politician’ who only look at personal interests to the detriment of a noble legacy bequeated to prodigal children.
Let me tourch one issue, maybe the lid will fall off your eyes. Take for example, people like Prof.Ango Abdullahi who is now claiming to be the champion of the northern cause, find out,all his children if they ever school in Nigeria, they go in the morning well dressed and only attend arabic school for maybe 2-3hrs in the evening and return to his house. About 50-75% of other children aged 4-10 attend arabic school in the morning away from the comfort of their parents care at such tender age. When these children are hungry they ask them to take plates and go from houses to houses and you know it is like the wild, the weak get bullied many times. This type of loopsided development, is it truely religious or what? The truth is that the elites provide a selfish situation where by hegemony is established but the danger is that when it comes to the centre they become minority voices unless they pull the string on the ignorant followers which i see is one of the root causes of problems and backwardness we have in the north.
You raised the issue on former president OBJ. on his recent address somewhere in the south west were he tourched on the failures of youths to brace opportunities to succeeded the elders. Of particular mention was his Vice. Atiku,former speaker Salisu Buhari, Ibori and D.Alam. You have mis-informed people about what OBJ was highlighting thereby possibly putting him on firing line.
I have no political shade, but that does not immune me from having some soft spots for our leaders past and present. The truth remains that, OBJ has no soft spot for critics and he took no nonsence with those who wanted to disturb his govt.and probably the state e;g Zaki-Biam,Odi. General IBB and Gen.m.Buhari are living former head of states you can list their attributes both positive and negative as it appeals to them as of the time.

On the issue of secrete agreement between GEJ and whoever, individuals or groups or stakeholders as to evolution of power you raised is a slight on the collective intelligence of Nigerians. So it means few individuals sit down and decide the fate of 199.99m people. Of course it might have been the case in the past but is better to change tactics.
We need Nigerian leader from whichever ethnic group that has the capacity to work for the growth and peaciful co-existence. The leader that can exploit our diversity to advantage not the type of materials we are recycling. Infact the true leader I can subscribe to is a person that has the capacity to instill confidence on nigerian project not those who can not win elections except they fly ethnic,regional or religious kites.
On the G-5, they are same selfish people flying from poles to posts. The tactics of G- something is re-occuring too much. Let them introduce and sponsor younger politicians and i will believe them.

These people are looking for recognition as presidential material representing the north. With due respect to Aliyu Babangida, i have good report of his performance. I am not in intrigued by painting state capitals white whereas people in the rural areas go broke.

No body should contemplate dialogue with Boko Haram; their offense is not new to our Law Book; Arson, Murder, Conspiracy to commit Arson and Murder in the first degree. I hardly lend voice to any statement that could sound tribalistic but I have no choice than remind Mr. ACF that when MASSOB carries out peaceful procession the members are easily rounded up and jailed without trial. So what are we talking about. I hope ACF is not the much touted Political wing of Boko Haram that will stay by the edge trying to negotiate largesse for them. Never shall Nigeria negotiate with Terrorists and subversive elements and bring our dear nation into ridicule